


Orders Are Orders

by SockMunchies



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Feels, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Short & Sweet, Spoilers, Tension, Writing this made me pissed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 16:40:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13884876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SockMunchies/pseuds/SockMunchies
Summary: Aaron is on his way to Listening Post Bravo, where Scribe Haylen had told him Paladin Danse had gone.He doesn't want to execute Danse, but "orders are orders" as he told Haylen.Elder Arthur "fucking" Maxson, (As Aaron liked to call him), had given him a direct order: Hunt down the synth, and eradicate it.There was no room for personal feelings, it had to be done.





	Orders Are Orders

**Author's Note:**

> Hello this is a sad story!  
> I wanted to write another short for today as I'm in the mood for writing.
> 
> This is going to have major spoilers for the quest "Blind Betrayal" and possibly some main quest spoilers as well, so be warned.
> 
> I love Danse to bits and I never executed him in game, but I know this would make a good story.
> 
> Thanks for at least deciding to look at it!

"Damnit. Why did it have to be him!" Aaron shouted through the mask that covered the lower portion of his face. The upper half was drenched with tears and sweat, which got into his eyes only making the crying worse.

He was walking to the listening post, and he was almost there. A part of Aaron didn't want to execute Danse, but Elder fucking Maxson gave the order. What was it that Aaron had told Haylen?

He didn't remember, he wasn't thinking straight. Hadn't been since he first left the Prydwen. The thought of his superior officer being a synth boggled his mind and almost made Aaron crazy. Did Danse know he was a synth? If so, why hadn't he told Aaron?

He was on final approach to the post now, and Aaron saw two turrets atop the concrete structure. One shot, one down. Two shots, two down.

Going through the door, Aaron took down a Protectron guarding an elevator. There was a cage with some bullets and weapons in it, but Aaron wasn't interested in loot now.

Aaron powered up the elevator and made his decent into the litstening post's basement. Taking down two more protectrons, Aaron saw Danse.

He wasn't wearing his power armor like he usually did. No, he was wearing nothing but a Brotherhood uniform and disbelief. Aaron ducked through a small opening to the right of him and made it to the door to the room Danse was in.

He crept through the door, not wanting to startle Danse who was looking down with his head in his gloved hands.

"Danse." Aaron said firmly, not wanting to give away his feelings of regret and anger towards Danse for not telling him.

"I'm not suprised Maxson sent you." Danse lifted himself up, so he leveled with Aaron, "He never liked to do the dirty work himself." Aaron's hands grew to fists as he looked at Danse's face. 

"Why didn't you tell me!" Aaron almost shouted at Danse as he held back the tears which threatened to fall down his pale face.

"I didn't know until Quinlan read the report." Danse remained calm, while Aaron boiled himself alive on the inside trying to control his rage.

"Bullshit you didn't know! You're a fucking machine, a synth created by the fucking Institute!" Aaron snapped, losing his control over himself as his hands grew white with the grip he held on his fists.

"It may be difficult to believe, but I'm telling you, I didn't know." Danse said, remaining as calm as he could.

"tell me," Danse began, "does Maxson even want me alive?" Aaron's face went from anger to sadness as he continued his internal fight to hold back tears.

"Of course not." Aaron said quietly, "synths are the enemy, remember?" Aaron's stare grew cold on Danse as he tried to pull himself together and remain distant.

"All to well." Danse said, standing infront of Aaron with a defeated look on his face. 

By no means did Aaron want to execute Danse. Not only was Danse his commanding officer, but he was also Aaron's friend. He hadn't made many friends since he left the vault, so he wanted to keep as many alive as he could.

"So," Aaron paused, not really knowing what to say, "what happens now?" Feeling like an idiot for asking this, Aaron took a step back and looked at Danse with a cold stare.

"Maxson's ordered you to execute me, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand in your way." Danse said, giving a weak smile before kneeling down where he stood infront of Aaron.

Pulling out his pistol, Aaron knew what he had to do. With his free hand, he took his mask off and looked at Danse.

"I'm sorry, Danse." Aaron paused, "Orders are orders." Giving pressure to his trigger finger, Aaron's gun went off with a silent bang and the barrel cried smoke as Danse fell backwards onto the concrete ground.

His body now lifeless, Aaron took Danse's holotags as a sign of a job done. As he exited the bunker alone, he thought of what he had just done.

Aaron's commanding officer, someone he once called a friend, now lie dead in a cold bunker because of him.

No. Not because of Aaron. Because of the Institute. The Institute foolishly chose to grant him life, he simply should not have existed. 

Aaron threw down a smoke signal grenade and patiently waited the arrival of a veribird. When one arrived, Aaron climbed aboard and stared into the Commonwealth. He now had to travel through this alone, without the guidence he relied on from Paladin...from Danse.

#

Weeks went by and Aaron soon forgot about Danse. It was partly because of his mission, but also because he had started taking Jet now. Aaron wasn't a junkie by any means, he would never sink that low. However, when the thought of Danse came to mind, Aaron needed some help executing thoes thoughts from his head.

Elder fucking Maxson had granted Aaron the title of Paladin. Sure, it was a great title, but Aaron refused to awknowlage it as his own.

Soon after the defeat of the Institute, Aaron no longer saw purpose in his life. His goal of saving his son had failed, and he was now the "savior of the Commonwealth". However, this meant nothing to him as he soon felt worthless without the company of Danse at his side.

Nothing but emptiness and regret filled Aaron's mind as he sat in his...Danse's...quarters. 

Maybe it would be better if he, too, laid dead on a cold bunker floor.

"Orders are orders." Aaron repeated to himself, as he fell asleep in the bed once occupied by Danse. 

Aaron wouldn't argue if he never woke up.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually crying that was sad as hell.
> 
> Kudos are appreciated, thanks for reading.
> 
> Would love other "short and sweet" suggestions as well. Somethign to break up the day, I guess ;)


End file.
